Credit: Christopher Evans

GOOD CAUSE : In this Groupon ad, Timothy Hutton calls attention to human rights issues in Tibet, but adds its people ‘whip up an amazing fish curry.’

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Blazing-hot online discounter Groupon drew fierce criticism yesterday for its last-minute Super Bowl ad that made light of the plight of Tibetans.

“I was angry when I saw the ad because it made fun of a very serious situation in Tibet,” said Lobsang Gyaltsen Nanchung, a member of the Tibetan Association of Boston, referring to the human rights crisis in Tibet as the Chinese government cracks down on singers, writers and environmentalists.

Groupon’s spot opens with sweeping views of Tibet as Timothy Hutton calls attention to the troubles of its people. While the actor is being served a meal at a Himalayan restaurant, he says, “The Tibetan people are in trouble. Their culture is in jeopardy.” Then, in a sarcastic tone he adds, “But they still whip up an amazing fish curry.”

The spot is part of a campaign that includes Elizabeth Hurley making light of rainforest deforestation and Cuba Gooding Jr. downplaying the threat of extinction to whales.

Grant Pace, executive creative director at Conover Tuttle Pace, said he thought the Tibetan ad was a “disaster.”

“Between the use of the celebrity and the subject matter, it seems like the perfect storm of bad publicity,” he said. “I saw Tweets last night that asked, ‘Why is Groupon making me want to never use their service again?’ It went out of its way to be funny and missed.”

The outrage has prompted Groupon to edit the end of the ad. Groupon CEO Andrew Mason said the ads were intended, in part, to support the philanthropic causes in the mock public service announcements.

“We would never have run these ads if we thought they trivialized the causes — even if we didn’t take them as seriously as we do, what type of company would go out of their way to be so antagonistic?” Mason wrote.

But not everyone was offended.

Solmon Chowdhury, owner of Om Restaurant in Harvard Square, who has used Groupon, said his only complaint was Groupon’s failure to feature his eatery in the ad. “To tell you the truth, I wish they had used my restaurant,” he said.

Lobsang Thargay, owner of Brookline’s Tashi Delek, a Tibetan restaurant, also said he wasn’t bothered by the ad.

“I know some people were really upset, but Super Bowl commercials are meant to be funny, so I didn’t take it too seriously,” he said. “I think any publicity for Tibet is a good thing.”

Dhondup Phunkhang, a local Tibetan community organizer, said some Tibetans were offended because the ad uses the Tibetan cause to sell a product, but he added that the ad and the controversy may raise awareness.

“We hold weekly rallies in Harvard Square, but they don’t bring too many people,” he said. “But an ad like this reaches a huge audience.”